diff --git a/support-files/mysql.spec.sh b/support-files/mysql.spec.sh
index bb15b27cd1f..2af9016d822 100644
--- a/support-files/mysql.spec.sh
+++ b/support-files/mysql.spec.sh
@@ -504,6 +504,7 @@ rm -f $RBR%{_mandir}/man1/make_win_bin_dist.1*
 ##############################################################################
 
 %pre -n MySQL-server%{product_suffix}
+mysql_datadir=%{mysqldatadir}
 # Check if we can safely upgrade.  An upgrade is only safe if it's from one
 # of our RPMs in the same version family.
 
@@ -576,7 +577,74 @@ HERE
   fi
 fi
 
+# We assume that if there is exactly one ".pid" file,
+# it contains the valid PID of a running MySQL server.
+NR_PID_FILES=`ls $mysql_datadir/*.pid 2>/dev/null | wc -l`
+case $NR_PID_FILES in
+	0 ) SERVER_TO_START=''  ;;  # No "*.pid" file == no running server
+	1 ) SERVER_TO_START='true' ;;
+	* ) SERVER_TO_START=''      # Situation not clear
+	    SEVERAL_PID_FILES=true ;;
+esac
+# That logic may be debated: We might check whether it is non-empty,
+# contains exactly one number (possibly a PID), and whether "ps" finds it.
+# OTOH, if there is no such process, it means a crash without a cleanup -
+# is that a reason not to start a new server after upgrade?
+
+STATUS_FILE=$mysql_datadir/RPM_UPGRADE_MARKER
+
+if [ -f $STATUS_FILE ]; then
+	echo "Some previous upgrade was not finished:"
+	ls -ld $STATUS_FILE
+	echo "Please check its status, then do"
+	echo "    rm $STATUS_FILE"
+	echo "before repeating the MySQL upgrade."
+	exit 1
+elif [ -n "$SEVERAL_PID_FILES" ] ; then
+	echo "Your MySQL directory '$mysql_datadir' has more than one PID file:"
+	ls -ld $mysql_datadir/*.pid
+	echo "Please check which one (if any) corresponds to a running server"
+	echo "and delete all others before repeating the MySQL upgrade."
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+NEW_VERSION=%{mysql_version}-%{release}
+
+# The "pre" section code is also run on a first installation,
+# when there  is no data directory yet. Protect against error messages.
+if [ -d $mysql_datadir ] ; then
+	echo "MySQL RPM upgrade to version $NEW_VERSION"  > $STATUS_FILE
+	echo "'pre' step running at `date`"          >> $STATUS_FILE
+	echo                                         >> $STATUS_FILE
+	echo "ERR file(s):"                          >> $STATUS_FILE
+	ls -ltr $mysql_datadir/*.err                 >> $STATUS_FILE
+	echo                                         >> $STATUS_FILE
+	echo "Latest 'Version' line in latest file:" >> $STATUS_FILE
+	grep '^Version' `ls -tr $mysql_datadir/*.err | tail -1` | \
+		tail -1                              >> $STATUS_FILE
+	echo                                         >> $STATUS_FILE
+
+	if [ -n "$SERVER_TO_START" ] ; then
+		# There is only one PID file, race possibility ignored
+		echo "PID file:"                           >> $STATUS_FILE
+		ls -l   $mysql_datadir/*.pid               >> $STATUS_FILE
+		cat     $mysql_datadir/*.pid               >> $STATUS_FILE
+		echo                                       >> $STATUS_FILE
+		echo "Server process:"                     >> $STATUS_FILE
+		ps -fp `cat $mysql_datadir/*.pid`          >> $STATUS_FILE
+		echo                                       >> $STATUS_FILE
+		echo "SERVER_TO_START=$SERVER_TO_START"    >> $STATUS_FILE
+	else
+		# Take a note we checked it ...
+		echo "PID file:"                           >> $STATUS_FILE
+		ls -l   $mysql_datadir/*.pid               >> $STATUS_FILE 2>&1
+	fi
+fi
+
 # Shut down a previously installed server first
+# Note we *could* make that depend on $SERVER_TO_START, but we rather don't,
+# so a "stop" is attempted even if there is no PID file.
+# (Maybe the "stop" doesn't work then, but we might fix that in itself.)
 if [ -x %{_sysconfdir}/init.d/mysql ] ; then
   %{_sysconfdir}/init.d/mysql stop > /dev/null 2>&1
   echo "Giving mysqld 5 seconds to exit nicely"
@@ -585,17 +653,33 @@ fi
 
 %post -n MySQL-server%{product_suffix}
 mysql_datadir=%{mysqldatadir}
+NEW_VERSION=%{mysql_version}-%{release}
+STATUS_FILE=$mysql_datadir/RPM_UPGRADE_MARKER
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Create data directory if needed
+# Create data directory if needed, check whether upgrade or install
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 if [ ! -d $mysql_datadir ] ; then mkdir -m 755 $mysql_datadir; fi
-if [ ! -d $mysql_datadir/mysql ] ; then mkdir $mysql_datadir/mysql; fi
+if [ -f $STATUS_FILE ] ; then
+	SERVER_TO_START=`grep '^SERVER_TO_START=' $STATUS_FILE | cut -c17-`
+else
+	SERVER_TO_START=''
+fi
+# echo "Analyzed: SERVER_TO_START=$SERVER_TO_START"
+if [ ! -d $mysql_datadir/mysql ] ; then
+	mkdir $mysql_datadir/mysql;
+	echo "MySQL RPM installation of version $NEW_VERSION" >> $STATUS_FILE
+else
+	# If the directory exists, we may assume it is an upgrade.
+	echo "MySQL RPM upgrade to version $NEW_VERSION" >> $STATUS_FILE
+fi
 if [ ! -d $mysql_datadir/test ] ; then mkdir $mysql_datadir/test; fi
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Make MySQL start/shutdown automatically when the machine does it.
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+# NOTE: This still needs to be debated. Should we check whether these links
+# for the other run levels exist(ed) before the upgrade?
 # use insserv for older SuSE Linux versions
 if [ -x /sbin/insserv ] ; then
   /sbin/insserv %{_sysconfdir}/init.d/mysql
@@ -677,17 +761,30 @@ if [ -x sbin/restorecon ] ; then
   sbin/restorecon -R var/lib/mysql
 fi
 
-# Restart in the same way that mysqld will be started normally.
-if [ -x %{_sysconfdir}/init.d/mysql ] ; then
-  %{_sysconfdir}/init.d/mysql start
-  echo "Giving mysqld 2 seconds to start"
-  sleep 2
+# Was the server running before the upgrade? If so, restart the new one.
+if [ "$SERVER_TO_START" = "true" ] ; then
+	# Restart in the same way that mysqld will be started normally.
+	if [ -x %{_sysconfdir}/init.d/mysql ] ; then
+		%{_sysconfdir}/init.d/mysql start
+		echo "Giving mysqld 2 seconds to start"
+		sleep 2
+	fi
+
+	# Allow mysqld_safe to start mysqld and print a message before we exit
+	sleep 2
 fi
 
-# Allow mysqld_safe to start mysqld and print a message before we exit
-sleep 2
+# Collect an upgrade history ...
+echo "Upgrade/install finished at `date`"        >> $STATUS_FILE
+echo                                             >> $STATUS_FILE
+echo "====="                                     >> $STATUS_FILE
+STATUS_HISTORY=$mysql_datadir/RPM_UPGRADE_HISTORY
+cat $STATUS_FILE >> $STATUS_HISTORY
+rm  $STATUS_FILE
+
 
 %preun -n MySQL-server%{product_suffix}
+
 if [ $1 = 0 ] ; then
   # Stop MySQL before uninstalling it
   if [ -x %{_sysconfdir}/init.d/mysql ] ; then
@@ -892,6 +989,17 @@ fi
 # merging BK trees)
 ##############################################################################
 %changelog
+* Tue Jun 15 2010 Joerg Bruehe <joerg.bruehe@sun.com>
+
+- Change the behaviour on installation and upgrade:
+  On installation, do not autostart the server.
+  *Iff* the server was stopped before the upgrade is started, this is taken as a
+  sign the administrator is handling that manually, and so the new server will
+  not be started automatically at the end of the upgrade.
+  The start/stop scripts will still be installed, so the server will be started
+  on the next machine boot.
+  This is the 5.5 version of fixing bug#27072 (RPM autostarting the server).
+
 * Tue Jun 1 2010 Jonathan Perkin <jonathan.perkin@oracle.com>
 
 - Implement SELinux checks from distribution-specific spec file.